This 1954 Martin D-18 was brought to us by the granddaughter of the original owner, who'd inherited it from him in the early 1980's. When she brought it to us, she indicated the original tuning machines had been replaced and discarded long ago, and that the bridge had been shaved down several times over the past three decades--but the inside of the guitar was clean as a whistle and the neck had never been off. We've just had a neck reset & refret done at TJ Thompson's shop, where a new Brazilian Rosewood bridge was also installed. (The new bridge features 2 3/16" string spacing -- a bit more room than a standard 1950's bridge offers.) If you've been on the hunt for a great vintage D-18, and you're not interested in pre-war price tags, well, look no further. This wonderful sounding guitar is as good as a mid-50's D-18 gets: rich and clear, crisp and full (as the song goes) ... it's everything a guitar ought to be. Great low end for a non-scalloped guitar, and a golden, singing voice that'll instantly please fans of the Doc Watson School of Flatpicking. Priced with non-original, not-vintage hard case. Please call us and ask for Andy if you'd like to discuss this guitar.
- Serial No. 139953
- Mahogany back & sides
- Spruce top
- Neck reset, new frets & Brazilian Rosewood bridge
- PLEK treatment
- 1 11/16" nut width
- 25.4" Scale length
- 2 3/16" string spacing